Pencil box with built-in sharpener



Nov. 3, 1953 A. A. ROGER PENCIL BOX WITH BUILT-IN SHARPENER 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 Filed June 16. 1951 Patented Nov. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PENCILBOX WITH BUILT INSHARPENEE Alex. .A.: Roger; Beverly Hills, Califi, ,assignor to 1 Spengler-Loomisv Manufacturing; Company,. Rockford, Ill.,, a corporationwof. Illinois.

Applicationfliine'16, 1951;,Serial No; 231, 97;

7 Claims.

This invention relates to .a: new sand; improved pencil box with built-in sharpeneri.

The principal object of my invention i to incorporate the pencil sharpener in oneend pore tion of the pencil box without adding too much to the overall size and weight and also without. involving too much added expense, and. at the sam-etime providethe sharpening, facility as well. as the facility for dumping of 'chipsz-inthe. handiest form, so that a child will have'nodiffie culty whatsoever in operating the sharpeneruand. emptying the accumulatedchips from time to. time.

The sharpener compartment built in oneend of the main body portion of the box, in accordancewith my invention, has the'sh'arpenerassembly rotatably mounted therein and arranged to be turned by means of a specially designed crank having a foldable handle adapted to lie close to the side of the box in its out-of-the-way position,.and the compartment is normally closed by the cover-slide, which works in grooves provided therefor in the top of the box on the main body portion and also in registering grooves provided in the laterally swingable top section that is'pivoted on the main .body portion of 'the'box near one .end remote from the sharpener com-'- partment, the cover-slide being provided with stop projections on opposite ends, which permit a very short travel ofthe'slide in one direction in opening the sharpener compartment for the dumping of chips while keeping .the pencil box otherwise securely locked closed,'b'ut allows longer travel in the other direction as required in opening the box properly for removal of pencils from the top or bottom pencil'compar-tments while keeping the sharpener compartment. securely locked closed. By locating the pivot for the swingable top section far enough inwardly from the-outer ends of this section and providing a partition in the bottom section below this pivot,

I have arranged to provide in the two sections three different length compartments; for long,

short, and intermediate length pencils and other articles.

The invention'is illustrated'in' the accompanying drawings, in which- Figs. 1 and 2 are a top and side view, respectively, of a pencil box with built-in sharpener made in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 3 is a .top view of the box,. showing the cover-slide in one extreme position and the top section of the boxswung to an open position afiording access to either of the three storage compartments in the two sections ofthe :box

dumping of'chips from the sharpener comparte ment; while keeping the rest of the box securely" locked-closed.

The same reference'numerals are appliedto:

corresponding parts throughout the views;

Referring toxthe drawings, the reference nu mera1f5 designates themain bodyportion of the pencil .box, which provides 'th'e lower section :6 for storage of :pencils, erasersand other :articles;.-. and? i :designatesrthe pivoted top' "section intended foristorage-of longer'pencils, rulers, and other articles, thecompartmentdin section l-being longer than either of the compartments?! and Ill. in section 6; Thecpartition' II in section 6 provides a support for the pivot screw l2xrelative to which the :section 1 swings, and this partitionis.

so arranged sthatLa-imedium length compartment iszprovided at :9 and a shortlength compartment at Ill; thus." giving the child an opportunity to sortoutahisr. belongings according'to length. A

sharpener compartment l3 is'provided inia housing-#M formed 'on'one endof the main body portion 5,; this housing-being equivalent in depth :to

the combined:.-.dept-h of sections 6 and I of the .pencil *box, as 'sclearlyx appears in Fig. 2,. so that thei-open atop; thereof isin coplanar relationship-- to the-open topof the-pivoted top section 1, as 1' required'icr thesliding .back and forth of the cover-slide I5 inregistering grooves l6 and, H: provided: in theopposite sides of'the open tops oftthe-housinggl-l andboxsection 1, respectively, the. cover 'havingrtongues 18 on the longitudinal edgesithereof slidably received in these grooves; Finger recesses i9 and 2t are provided in .the' top of the cover-slide i5-near the opposite endsthereof, to facilitate sliding the cover back and forth. Thein-nerside 2| of the housing [4 is cut on-an' acuteangle, and the inner end-of the pivoted-box section 1 iscut on" on a matching. angle, as indicated at 22, to permit swinging section. 1 in only one direction when opening thepencil box, asappearsin Fig. 3, and limit thereturn movement; as indicated in Figs. 1 and 4. Downwardly projecting stops 23 and 24 are provided on opposite ends of the cover-slide I5 to. limit-endwise movement of the slide in opposite directionsby engagement with opposite side of a..transverse wall 25 on the innerxside of the- Thus, when. the :cover: I Eris-slid. arshort distance tomtheroneslimitisharpenercompartment I3.

position, indicated in Fig. 4, where the stop projection 23 engages the wall 25, the sharpener compartment i3 is opened for dumping of chips but the pencil box is locked securely closed. On the other hand, when the cover is slid a longer distance in the other direction to the limit position shown in Fig. 3, Where the stop projection 24 engages the other side of the wall 25, the pencil box is unlocked for access to either of the three compartments 3, 9 and it, but the sharpener compartment is is closed securely. Grooves 26 and 2? are provided in the end walls 28 and 29 of the pivoted top section to allow passage of the stop projection 24 in sliding the cover [5 to the limit position, shown in Fig. 3, there being a depression 3 provided behind the wall 25, deep enough to accommodate the stop projection 24 in the said limit position and permit the cover l5 to be pulled back far enough to leave working clearance for the end of the pivoted box section 1. A similar groove 3! is provided in the end wall 32 of the sharpener compartment l3 to accommodate the stop projection 23 and allow the cover l5 to slide to the limit position shown in Fig. 4..

Any suitable or preferred design of crank-operated rotary pencil sharpener mechanism may be employed in the sharpener compartment 13. Thus, while I have shown a sharpener mechanism having a single cutter 33 designed to be driven by meshing engagement of a pinion meshing with an internal gear inside the stationary ring 3d, relative to which the frame 35 carrying the cutter 33 is adapted to be rotated by means of a crank 3'5, to sharpen a pencil 37 entered in a guide opening in a face plate 38 secured to the box on the opposite side from the crank 35, the conventional two-cutter type sharpener having the two cutters thereof in converging relationship and disposed to cut on diametrically opposite sides of the pencil may be provided in lieu of the one shown. A face plate 39 suitably secured to the side of the box provides a bearing for the frame 35 to run in and also a mounting for the ring 34. The other face plate 38 need only provide a guide opening in coaxial relationship to the conical-shaped pencil receiving portion in the frame 35. The crank 36 is purposely designed to lie as close as possible to the side of the face plate 39, and the handle 40, which is in the form of a split ring, the opposite end portions of which are received in a transverse hole M provided in a pin 42 suitably swiveled in the outer end of the crank 36, is arranged to 'be folded into parallelism with the crank when not in use, as shown in full lines in Fig. l, to take up less room and reduce the likelihood of the crank or handle getting caught on anything when the pencil box is being carried around or is being put away in a desk. This also facilitates packing of the pencil box in a shipping container.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that the invention comprises two separate but pivotally interconnected unitary box structures. The first unitary box structure 5 has a first portion open at the top providing the two compartments 9 and it and a second open top portion providing the pencil sharpener compartment l3, the top of said first portion being at a level spaced substantially below the level of the top of the pencil-sharpener portion. The second unitary box structure which is pivotally mounted on the first box structure, provides the upper open top compartment 8. The top of this pivoted second box structure is at substantially the same level as the top of the pencil-sharpener compartment 13 so that the single lid 15 may cover both compartments 8 and 3 simultaneously. The grooves ll on the second pivoted box structure constitutes a first track means to engage the lid IS with freedom for the lid to slide longitudinally and the grooves IE on the pencil-sharpener portion of the first box structure constitutes a second similar track means, these two track means being in alignment at the position of the second pivoted box structure that closes the first portion of the first box structure.

It is further apparent that the lid [5 is movable longitudinally to four diiferent positions in the various uses of the pencil box and that the lid serves multiple functions at each of these four positions. The four positions of the lid and the functions of the lid at the four positions are as follows.

A first position of the lid l5, which may be termed a limit position, is illustrated in Fig. 4 where it can be seen that the lid 55 is retracted in one direction to uncover the pencilsharpener compartment 13, the lid being retracted to the limit position at which the stop 23 on the lid abuts the transverse wall 25. It is to be noted that in the movement of the lid to this limit position, the stop 2 1 on the other end of the lid moves outward through the groove or recess 27 in the opposite end wall 29. At this first limit position, the cover slide 15 accomplishes the following purposes:

(a) Uncovers the pencil-sharpener compartment 3 to permit dumping of pencil shavings therefrom;

(2)) Covers upper compartment 8 to prevent dumping of its content when the pencil shavings are dumped;

(0) Looks the pivoted box structure in position closing the lower compartments 9 and Iii to prevent the dumping of the contents of these lower compartments when the pencil shavings are dumped.

At the second longitudinal position of the lid l5 shown in Fig. l, the lid is in a central position relative to the pencil box with both of the stop-s 23 and 2d on the lid spaced away from the transverse stop wall 25 of the box structure. At this second or closed position of the lid I5, the lid serves the following purposes:

(a) The lid closes the upper compartment 8 in the pivoted box section 1;

(b) The lid closes the pencil-sharpener compartment [3;

(c) The lid locks the second pivoted box structure against rotation relative to the first unitary box structure to keep the lower compartments 9 and [0 closed.

At a third position of the lid 15 that is not shown in the drawings, the lid l5 as viewed in Fig. l is retracted downward from its central closed position until only a minor portion of the lid remains in an engagement with the first track means or grooves l? on the pivoted box structure. At this position, the lid serves the following purposes:

(a) The lid closes the pencil-sharpener compartment l3 to confine the pencil shavings therein;

(b) The lid being in engagement with both the first track means or grooves H and the second track means or grooves l6, locks the second pivoted box structure against rotation relative to the first box structure and thus keeps the two compartments 9 and it closed to confine their contents;

() The lid exposes the upper compartment 8 to make its interior accessible.

The fourth position of the lid l in this progressive series of positions is shown in Fig. 3 where the lid is at a limit position determined by abutment of the stop 24 on the under side of the lid against the transverse wall 25. In this position the lid serves the following purposes:

(a) The lid covers the pencil-sharpener compartment 13 to retain the pencil shavings therein;

(b) The lid wholly exposes compartment 8 in the second unitary box structure;

(0) The lid permits the second unitary box structure to pivot for the purpose of exposing the lower compartments 9 and 10 for access thereto.

My description and specific detail of a preferred practice of the invention will suggest to those skilled in the art, various changes, substitutions and other departures from the disclosure that properly lie within the spirit and scope of the appendent claims.

I claim:

1. In a pencil box of the character described, the combination of: a first unitary box structure having a first open top storage portion extending longitudinally from one end of the structure and a second open top pencil-sharpener portion extending longitudinally from the other end of the structure, the level of the top of said second portion being spaced above the level of the top of the first portion; a second unitary top box structure over said first portion of the first box structure with the top of the second box structure at substantially the same level as the top of said second portion of the first box structure, said second box structure being pivotally mounted on the first box portion to rotate laterally between a position closing said first storage portion and a position exposing the interior of said first storage portion; a lid dimensioned in length to cover both said second box structure and said second pencil-sharpener portion of the first box structure; a first track means on the top of said second box structure to retain said lid with freedom for the lid to slide longitudinally of the second box structure; and a second track means on the top of said second portion of the first box structure to retain said lid with freedom for the lid to slide longitudinally of the first box structure, said two track means being positioned for alignment when said second pivoted box structure is in position closing said first portion of the first box structure, whereby said lid is longitudinally movable to four positions, namely, a first position sufficiently retracted from said pencil-sharpener portion of the first box structure to permit dumping of pencil shavings therefrom, but covering said second box structure to confine the contents thereof, the lid at said first position being in engagement with both said track means to prevent rotation of said second box structure out of its position closing said first storage portion of the first box structure, a second position centrally of the two box structures closing both said second box structure and said pencil sharpener portion of the first box section, the lid at said second position being in engagement with both said track means to hold said second pivoted box structure in position closing said first portion of the first box structure, a third intermediate position partially retracted with respect to said second pivoted box structure for access thereto but in engagement with both said two track means to hold said second pivoted box structure in position closing said first box portion of the first box structure, and a fourth position completely retracted from said first track means on said second track means to cover said pencil-sharpener portion and to free said second pivoted box structure for rotation relative to the first box structure to expose said first portion of the first box structure for access thereto.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 which includes stop means to limit the movement of said lid at said first and fourth positions, respectively.

3. A device set forth in claim 1 which includes two stop means on said lid and stop means on said first box structure cooperating with said two stop means to limit movement of said lid at said first and fourth positions, respectively.

4. A device as set forth in claim 1 which includes stop means on said first box structure below the path of movement of said lid, a first inward projection on one end of said lid to abut one side of said stop means at said first position of the lid, and a second inward projection on the other end of the lid to abut the other side of said stop means at the fourth position of the lid.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4 in which the outer end of said first box structure is recessed to clear one of said lid projections and the other end of said second box structure is recessed to clear the other of said lid projections.

6. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which said first portion of said first unitary box structure is divided into at least two compartments by a transverse wall and in which said second box structure is pivotally mounted on said transverse wall.

7. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which at said second or closed position of the lid the vertical longitudinal cross-sectional configuration of the combined unitary box structures is rectangular, each of the two box structures being complementary parts of the rectangular configuration.

ALEX. A. ROGER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 432,831 Legge July 22, 1890 1,230,589 Macnorius June 19, 1917 2,018,297 Cohn et al Oct. 22, 1935 2,582,821 Duell et al Jan. 15, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 16,854 Great Britain Aug. 22, 1901 592,717 Great Britain Sept. 26, 1947 626,744 Great Britain July 20, 1949 

